Darius Slay Out – Adam Thielen In: Steelers’ 1st Major Changes After Embarrassing Loss to Bills

Darius Slay has been struggling to stay true to his former Pro Bowl self during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Darius Slay Out – Adam Thielen In: Steelers’ 1st Major Changes After Embarrassing Loss to Bills

Adam Thielen joins Steelers while Darius Slay leaves (Image via NFL Rumors/Steelers Wire/X)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

The pressure is on Mike Tomlin, Aaron Rodgers, and the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ veterans such as Darius Slay, who are under immense pressure to stop the losing and start winning games.

Their latest loss against the Buffalo Bills was both embarrassing and eyebrow-raising as to the state of the team. Not only did Rodgers and his offense struggle mightily, but the defense, too, displayed signs of vulnerability.

The superstar quarterback also threw a fit at his receivers, which angered some, and they were instead questioning the franchise’s vision when banking on the league’s oldest player.

Now that the trade deadline is over, the team does not have much to play with. Still, they tried to improve one department after another, with the offense first on the agenda.

Two-time Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen was claimed off waivers by the Steelers, per source. Thielen, 35, wanted one more shot at a Super Bowl in his final season and now lands with longtime NFC North rival Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh.

Tom Pelissero revealed on X

The 35-year-old may not be the player he once was, and was released after posting a paltry 89 yards over 11 games with the Minnesota Vikings.

It seems the Steelers believe his veteran leadership will be crucial in helping their younger wideouts focus on the task at hand and start to do the things that are needed for them to win.

This being his final year in the NFL, Adam Thielen could walk away by helping the franchise get out of the rut they have been in for the last decade or more.

Darius Slay gets the chop after calls for Steelers to fix expensive and old defense

Under head coach Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers have always focused most of their resources on building a stud defense. During these past 7 years, when they were experimenting with quarterbacks, it was the defense that was dragging them into the postseason.

Against the Bills, they were exposed to the tune of 249 yards rushing. That would generally mean that the defensive front seven will need to make adjustments.

But there is also the factor that an aging and slow secondary allows opponents to scheme and exploit them. That was evident in their Week 13 loss, when the Bills focused on slowing the Steelers’ front line, which gave their runners room to burst into open space and gain yards.

Many have criticized the Pennsylvania-based team for spending a lot of money on veteran defensive backs, and it seems the top brass listened to them.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Steelers and cornerback Darius Slay mutually agreed to part ways. It comes at a time when the Super Bowl champion corner, who, like Thielen, is playing in his final year, was visibly struggling.

Darius Slay’s axe does not come at a price

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to part ways with Darius Slay was not a decision made out of the blue. They knew they were about to get a much younger and hungrier player in return.

Asante Samuel Jr. signed with Steelers this season
Asante Samuel Jr. signed with Steelers this season (Image via Steelers Wire/X)

The franchise signed cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to their practice squad a month ago, but he was still recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered last year.

In the Florida native, they get a much faster corner, who can also tackle running backs at will. He did play against the Bills, but with Slay gone, he is now expected to take on a larger role.

They play the Baltimore Ravens twice in their remaining 5 games. If they can win one of those contests, the team can breathe a sigh of relief, especially when it comes to playoff standings.

Also Read: